Groupe Mutuel: Gaining Competitive Advantages through Digital Transformation

Project Overview

• Initial Situation

  Since 1996, individuals residing in Switzerland have been required to have health insurance, and the basic health insurance has been standardized according to legal requirements. This standardization forced health insurers to find new ways to differentiate themselves in the competitive market. For Groupe Mutuel, this meant accelerating their innovation efforts.

  "Among health insurers, there is a race," says Pascal Sarech, Head of Infrastructure at Groupe Mutuel. "We must ensure maximum satisfaction and profile our company through products and offerings to remain a leader. If we don't do that, customers will go to the competition."

  With the adaptation to new requirements, the industry has shifted its focus to the consumer. "Previously, we sold our products through representatives. Now, we interact directly with consumers," explains Sarech. "Smartphones and apps have changed customer expectations and the pace of our operations. This has led to a significant increase in the amount of data we work with." As customers use mobile devices to obtain quotes, submit claims, and pay bills, they expect websites and customer portals to be always available. Additionally, they seek innovative solutions to their insurance-related inquiries.

   

• Objectives

  "In 2010, we had 750,000 customers. By the end of 2017, it grew to 1.5 million," says Sarech. "During that time, the volume of data increased by 35% annually. We had to find a way to meet the rising demands." From the billing department to the engineering team, every area demanded immediate data availability to meet customer expectations and adequately support business growth.

  Groupe Mutuel tackled these challenges through digital transformation. "We developed a vision of data networking, enabling every part of the organization to optimize processes and create value for customers," says Sarech.

• Solution

  Working together, we thoroughly examined each aspect of the business and devised an integrated data approach. As a result, the company's website, core applications, ERP systems, and development processes have all become faster and more efficient due to the seamless movement of data between different departments within the company's private cloud. The implementation of NetApp's Data Fabric architecture has facilitated the interweaving of data across various locations and applications, streamlining data management in both the cloud and local data centers. While data warehouse applications are not currently hosted on NetApp, the company is actively engaged in a significant project aimed at enhancing its data analytics capabilities.

• Umsetzung

  Nach der Migration der ERP- und Web-Applikationen und OracleDatenbanken auf die NetApp AFF-Systeme war der Erfolg sofort sichtbar – etwa bei der Verarbeitungszeit für die Belege von 1,5 Millionen Kunden: „Früher benötigten wir 48 Stunden, heute nur noch 6“, sagt Sarech.

  Solidfire bschleunigst Innovationen

  Die Website von Groupe Mutuel ist ein Hotspot der Interaktion mit Kunden. „Kunden suchen und kaufen Versicherungen und reichen ihre Leistungsansprüche über die Website ein“, erläutert Sarech. „Startet eine Seite zu langsam, können wir einen Kunden verlieren.“ Eine Seite muss daher in unter 3 Sekunden angezeigt werden.

  Um neue Funktionalitäten bei Kernapplikationen und Website einzuführen, betreiben die 150 Entwickler der Mutuel einen kontinuierlichen Release-Zyklus. NetApp SolidFire unterstützt die agilen Entwicklungsprozesse im DevOpsModus. „Mit SolidFire können wir wachsende Datenanforderungen erfüllen und zugleich intern die Performance garantieren“, sagt Sarech. „Unser IT-Team liebt die Lösung, weil sie so einfach zu managen ist.“

  Die Entwickler können gleichzeitig an mehreren Projekten arbeiten, ohne dass sich die Performance ändert. „Vor SolidFire dauerten unsere Release-Zyklen zwei Monate“, sagt Sarech. „Heute bringen wir für Anwendungen mit DevOps-Modus ständig neue Releases heraus. Es ist sehr einfach, die Daten gezielt durch die Infrastruktur zu bewegen. So werden die Entwicklungsprozesse einfacher und schneller, und wir können uns laufend verbessern.“